Creative

 Creativity is elusive. 

Some days it seems to flow out of me, onto a page like this, into a card I'm making, or even in the food I'm cooking.  

Other days, I halt and stop and throw away. Try again. Fail again. 

And I'm going to tell you right now, it's ok.  It's ok to fail...because in failing, you're one step closer to knocking it out of the park.  

You can stop yourself from big victories, from breakthroughs, and from the joy that comes from creativity if you don't keep making the effort.  

The effort is worth it. 

Today and every day.  

2023 Recap

Thanks for coming here for the Pat John family year in review. 

              You're an important part of our life if you scanned a QR code to find this update here. :) 

The one thing I realize as time passes is that the relationships we build with others are the most important things we can invest in.  Those relationships strengthen and bless us in a myriad of ways, even if it's memories of time togeher that we rely on.  Thank you for being a part of our lives. 

We pray that you may feel the love and peace of our Savior, Jesus Christ at this season and always. 

Merry Christmas! 

PAT & KRISTINE 

Pat loves being Papa JJJ...(or should I say Grampa JJJ). 

He's loving the opportunity to harass and talk rocks to a whole new generation of Johns.  

He spent much of his free time this past fall preparing for El Tour de Tucson yet again. He finally switched to the metric system and completed a metric century (100km/62 miles) with a couple of his friends. 

Work, family and helping with the young men fills his time.  You can almost always find him with a book playing on his headphones...and if you say Brandon Sanderson, you'll have a friend for life.  

Kristine has discovered that bigger kids still need Mom. Between a missionary coming home and a missionary leaving, graduation, new school enrollments, driver's license tests and all the other everyday parts of running a household, she's been busy.  

She's spent a lot of time with different doctors this year, but is still searching for answers to some elusive health issues.  Her "extra" time is spent now with the young women, and making cards. :)  

STEPHEN & VICTORIA

Stephen and Victoria continue the search for the balance between life, school, and work. Despite their ups and downs, they are having a great time Rexburg with friends and family both old and new. 

Stephen continues to serve as a member of the bishopric in their wonderful ward, and Victoria has been released after nearly two years of serving as the Relief Society 2nd Counselor. 

Stephen has worked a number of different jobs this year, settling on a job making potato flakes at Basic American. A true Idahoan now.

EMILY & TYLER JUDKINS

Tyler and Emily had a very busy year! 

Emily survived her first tax season and celebrated with her coworkers with a trip to Catalina island (which Bekah got to join her on!). 

Tyler got a promotion at his audio studio and was moved up to a nicer room. 

They’ve been traveling a ton this year, mostly to Arizona and Utah to visit family. Emily got to see Sam graduate high school and both Emily and Tyler got to be there for her grandparents homecoming talk!

They celebrated 5 years of marriage in August!! 

They had a big move in October to a nicer apartment and they bought a second car a week later so Emily didn’t have to ride the bus anymore. 

They’re loving life and enjoying the sunny California weather!! 

NATE & LILY

Nathan, Lily, and Alex have had a busy year. Continuing school has been a great adventure and joy for them- Nathan is continuing on his track in Psychology and Lily is continuing in Child development. 

They have also had a crash course in parenthood as Alex has grown and developed so quickly over the last year. He’s already walking, saying simple phrases, and tackling walking up and down stairs. Alex loves ramen noodles, toy cars and cats. He’ll become quite insistent on playing with these if he even catches a glimpse of them. 

Overall 2023 has been a delight for their little growing family.

THOMAS

This year Thomas got back from his mission in February! 

He has kept on moving since he's gotten home. He was a counselor for FSY (church youth camps) this summer and went to Texas, Provo, and North Carolina. 

He has also started college at BYU-Idaho, enjoys singing in the choir and lives near his two brothers that are in Rexburg. He loves spending time with his nephew and is vying for the "favorite uncle" title. 

BEKAH & GARRET HUNT

garret and bekah are loving life in tucson and staying busy between school, work and traveling to see family!

bekah will be graduating from EAC online in May with a business and project management degree. she’s loved working as a shift lead at crumbl and a receptionist for a massage office! 

garret has just finished working at a furniture salesman and is going into his last year of his biology degree from u of a! they’re looking forward to getting closer to dental school and all of their plans for 2024!

SAMUEL

Sam graduated from Combs High School in May!  

By May he had his mission papers in and was anxiously awaiting his call.

Between  his graduation and leaving on his mission, he chose to skydive! 

It was something that has been on Pat's bucket list too!  

Sam spent a couple of transfers in the Detriot, Michigan mission and had the chance to experience what fall looks like and feels like! We were sincerely hoping his visa would come through before the real winter weather set in.

In mid-November, Sam got notice that his visa had finally been approved! He headed to Piura, Peru (La ciudad de eterna calor) and has been serving there for the past month!

Here is an excerpt from his latest letter: 

Remember to do the small things- pray to God, read in His scriptures, and attend His church. The Holy Spirit testifies of His truth, and it testifies that this Gospel is true. I testify along with the Holy Ghost, in the name of Jesus Christ, that His church is again on the earth, and it will help you become a better person!

ISAAC

Isaac has had a busy, eventful year. He got his driver's permit this past spring, and his driver's license in the fall. It's been a blessing to have another driver in the house! It's always a fun step toward adulthood and independence when you send a kiddo out the door to run an errand or two for you. 

He made the decision to switch schools this fall, which meant going back to wearing uniforms for him. 

He said earlier this year "It took me a while to figure out I just needed to do what God was telling me to do and get the Holy Ghost off of my back".  

 It has been a wonderful thing to watch Isaac thrive in the environment we feel the Lord chose for him.  Listening to that still, small voice isn't always easy, but it is something on which we can truly depend. 

NATALIE

Natalie ran for Publicity Commissioner within her school last spring.  

While she wasn't elected to that position, she was asked to serve as a representative for Student Council this year.  She has spent many hours already in service helping others in her school, and she LOVES it.  

This fall, she was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society 

(which is also a service oriented organization).  

She's thriving within the young women's program and has the opportunity to grow her testimony with activities like a Book of Mormon Read-a-Thon and temple trips.  

She most recently loved the Amazing Race activity.

On Becoming Holy

Unnoticed initially, the bottoms of his shoes were almost fully worn through.  It had become such a part of him that he didn’t even think to mention it. It was the everyday walking, the constancy, that wore away his soles.  

Sometimes I wonder if our process of becoming holy is similar: the everyday challenges, the ones we face head on, without even really thinking about them, could they actually be wearing our souls down so that we hear Him and follow Him?  

How many miles are we putting on our spiritual souls?  How are we moving forward, even when it hurts?  I think I’ve learned something…and I’ll be pondering it for many days to come.  

Thrifting

 I can’t remember a time I didn’t thrift. 

St. Johns, the town in Arizona I grew up in, didn’t always have a thrift store in town, so yard sales were where we found “treasures” the most frequently.  

Call it frugality.  Call it necessity.  Call it wisdom on my mom's (a single mother) part.  Whatever you call it, it has become a part of what I do.  

Even my kids know we're gonna check the thrift stores before we go to the "regular" stores.  Raising 8 kids, it's been an honest to goodness godsend to not have to pay full price for things.  

So often, it's like a treasure hunt.  Except the treasure could be any number of things. I keep a running list in my phone of things we need, and when we REALLY need something, you'll see us praying that we'll be led to where that item is.  

And more times than I can count, the Lord has provided exactly what we need at exactly the right time.  

Broken Thermostat

I can’t tell you exactly when my internal thermostat stopped working.  I will say though, it is completely kaput.  Even with multiple layers on, if I get cold, I stay cold.  It’s not the most conducive to enjoying winter nights outside, even when it’s absolutely gorgeous.  

I used to joke that I’d rather be cold than hot, but after dealing with a constancy of chills, I may have honestly changed my mind.  

I Am Loved

My mom did an amazing job making me feel loved and important on Valentine’s Day every year.  It wasn’t expensive or time consuming, but she made it a priority to do SOMETHING special.  Heart shaped pancakes sometimes.  Other times a card.  One time a set of silver  heart shaped earrings.  Probably never all at once, and maybe not even every year.  Ultimately it doesn't matter what she did every year because she made the effort to let me know she not only loved me, but she liked me as well.  Not every child gets to feel that in their life, and I consider that constancy one of her most powerful and important gifts.  Because of her and the example she set for me, I am a mother who could build on that foundation and make a difference in my own children's lives.  I am loved, and because of that, I can love others more deeply.

Blessed to Chose Him

Allowing myself to be chosen. It’s a spiritual concept that is both simple and profound. God desires us to choose Him. His ways. His paths. His Son. And for so many years I felt like that was selfish on His end…like He needed me to worship Him for some unknown purpose.  It was a surprise to me to actually realize that all He wants to do is bless me, and my obedience ultimately blesses me, not Him. Although I have to consider if my obedience actually can move forth His plan and purposes…which would bless Him. 

I’ve been taught my whole life that God is bound to His promises when we do what He says. I love that.  He will never go back on His words or promises.  He is ever faithful.  And for that I’m so grateful!